1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to clothes washing machines and particularly to a washing machine having high pressure angled air jets that introduce air into the wash water in a stationary tub to establish a circular swirl flow-pattern within the wash water to agitate and clean the clothes without the need for a mechanically rotated drum, and sediment from the laundry is removed from the water by drains both at the top and the bottom of the washing machine; at the end of the wash cycle the high pressure air is used to drain and dehydrate the clean clothes.
2. Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
During operation, a conventional clothes washing machine proceeds through a series of wash and rinse cycles requiring a substantial amount of time and detergents and other cleaning products to get clothes clean. Each rinse cycle includes a spin cycle portion wherein a clothes article containing tub is spun at a very high speed in order to extract water from the clothes. A drain pump is typically run during the spin cycle in order to remove water from the washer.
Prior art washers present a host of problems. Tangling of garments is common with traditional washing through agitation made by a cylinder. Residue from the detergent and loose fabric in the garments is caused by tangling in prior art washers. Prior art washers produce off-balanced tumbling noise and even vibration and movement of the prior art washing machines from the prior art washer's spinning cycle. Floating particles are typically not removed by prior art washers.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,878,825, issued Sep. 20, 1932 to Caise, shows a washing machine which uses submerged laterally mounted water jet nozzles to agitate the garments in a vertical axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,649,706, issued Aug. 25, 1953 to Kemp, describes a washing machine in which the clothes are agitated and washed using jets of water. The jets are arranged in the wall of the tub so as to cause a swirling effect in the cleaning water.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,790,902, issued Feb. 3, 1931 to Cowles, indicates a washing machine with agitation which is provided by a jet or jets of liquid.
Two U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,651,191 issued Sep. 8, 1953 and No. 2,575,039 issued Nov. 13, 1951 both to Barnes, are for a washing machine which uses air jets submerged in the cleansing liquid for agitating clothes and the cleansing liquid. U.S. Pat. No. 655,717, issued Aug. 14, 1900 to Kuppelmann, provides a machine generally used by brewers to wash fibrous or loose material which comprises a tank in which pulp is placed. Cold water and air are introduced into the tank through ports to cause the mass of pulp to whirl and thereby be agitated.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,293,890, issued Dec. 27, 1966 to Valdespino, shows an aspir-jet washer which uses aspirator nozzles to introduce air into the tank through ports to cause the garments and cleaning water to be agitated.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,418,832, issued Dec. 31, 1968 to Valdespino, claims a small portable apparatus connected to an external source of water under pressure which injects water and air from the atmosphere through a venture-type nozzle arranged generally tangentially of the apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,474,277, issued Nov. 13, 1923 to Martel, discloses a washing machine having a continuous whirling action of water which is imparted by streams of water forcibly delivered through apertures at varying elevations.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,529,802, issued Nov. 14, 1950 to Glass, puts forth a cleaning machine for dry or wet cleaning of garments which comprises an upstanding container having washing liquid therein which is agitated by compressed air which passes through a pipe that encircles the container, through risers up to and through lateral ports, thereby causing a swirling effect.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,270,805, issued Jan. 20, 1942 to Evans, concerns a washing machine which uses compressed air passing through laterally mounted and submerged jets in intermittent blasts to agitate the clothes in a clockwise or counterclockwise fashion.
What is needed is a jet-washer for washing clothes which uses a series of spaced and variously angled jets of air in a stationary sealed tank of water to swirl the water under pressure and clean clothes faster and better than prior art washing machines without the need for detergents, thereby eliminating problems caused by prior art washing machines.